---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The public have neither shame or gratitude."
description: "\"The public have neither shame or gratitude.\" — William Hazlitt"
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/william-hazlitt-326_gratitude_the-public-have-neither-shame-or-gratitu_1358332.png"
---

#  The public have neither shame or gratitude.

![“The public have neither shame or gratitude.” quote by William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/william-hazlitt-326_gratitude_the-public-have-neither-shame-or-gratitu_1358332.png)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/william-hazlitt-326_gratitude_the-public-have-neither-shame-or-gratitu_1358332.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/william-hazlitt-326_gratitude_the-public-have-neither-shame-or-gratitu_1358332.png)

> “The public have neither shame or gratitude.”

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

People often lack both shame and gratitude, leading to moral emptiness.

**In simple terms:** Many lack shame and gratitude.

Key Takeaway

Encourage humility and thankfulness.

Themes

humility gratitude morality society ethics

Mood

critical analytical

Type

observational philosophical

When to use this quote

- workplace
- politics
- family gatherings

Key Concepts

psychology social behavior culture

Questions to Reflect On

- What fosters genuine gratitude?
- How can shame be constructive?

A Different Perspective

Some may feel shame is weakness.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Gratitude](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratitude/) [Shame](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shame/)

## Related quotes

> [It is a matter of public shame that while we have now commemorated our hundredth anniversary, not one in every ten children attending Public…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-lawson/it-is-a-matter-of-public-shame-that-while-we-have-now-commemorated/)

[Henry Lawson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-lawson/)

> [Every acknowledgment of gratitude is a circumstance of humiliation; and some are found to submit to frequent mortifications of this kind, proclaiming what obligations…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oliver-goldsmith/every-acknowledgment-of-gratitude-is-a-circumstance-of-humiliation/)

[Oliver Goldsmith](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oliver-goldsmith/)

> [“In the moment when you are hurt… Sit with yourself, let yourself feel the hurt, acknowledge the shames it touched and accept them. Hug…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/drishti-bablani/in-the-moment-when-you-are-hurt-sit-with-yourself-let-yourself-feel/)

[Drishti Bablani](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/drishti-bablani/)

> [What happens is this sort of bleed-over from the tabloids across your movie work. You go to a movie, you only go once. But…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-affleck/what-happens-is-this-sort-of-bleed-over-from-the-tabloids-across-your/)

[Ben Affleck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-affleck/)

> [If the public likes you, you're good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mickey-spillane/if-the-public-likes-you-you-re-good/)

[Mickey Spillane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mickey-spillane/)

> [It used to be that whenever I introduced myself to people and told them I was a psychologist, they would shrink away from me.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-seligman/it-used-to-be-that-whenever-i-introduced-myself-to-people-and-told/)

[Martin Seligman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-seligman/)

> [Aaron Spelling always had his finger on the pulse of pop culture, he knew what the public wanted to see. He was one of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alyssa-milano/aaron-spelling-always-had-his-finger-on-the-pulse-of-pop-culture-he/)

[Alyssa Milano](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alyssa-milano/)

> [I think, whenever you're in the public eye, you're never going to be loved by everybody.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amy-jackson/i-think-whenever-you-re-in-the-public-eye-you-re-never-going-to-be/)

[Amy Jackson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amy-jackson/)

> [There are many different ways the public can respond to actors - they can see you on TV and feel they know you and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chiwetel-ejiofor/there-are-many-different-ways-the-public-can-respond-to-actors-they/)

[Chiwetel Ejiofor](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chiwetel-ejiofor/)

> [As a new mother, you're so vulnerable and make mistakes all the time. I guess there's more pressure when you're in the public eye,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jessica-marais/as-a-new-mother-you-re-so-vulnerable-and-make-mistakes-all-the-time-i/)

[Jessica Marais](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jessica-marais/)

> [In essence, I see the value of journalism as resting in a twofold mission: informing the public of accurate and vital information, and its…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-greenwald/in-essence-i-see-the-value-of-journalism-as-resting-in-a-twofold/)

[Glenn Greenwald](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-greenwald/)

> [Politics only makes the difficult challenge of marriage even harder, with the demands of the job and the public spotlight it casts on a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-mckinnon/politics-only-makes-the-difficult-challenge-of-marriage-even-harder/)

[Mark McKinnon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-mckinnon/)

> [The public, more often than not, will forgive mistakes, but it will not forgive trying to wiggle out of one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lewis-grizzard/the-public-more-often-than-not-will-forgive-mistakes-but-it-will-not/)

[Lewis Grizzard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lewis-grizzard/)

> [Giving up something personal to the public, you are surrendering something.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/holly-hunter/giving-up-something-personal-to-the-public-you-are-surrendering/)

[Holly Hunter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/holly-hunter/)

> [The talk shows in the States want celebrities, not authors. In France, it is different; writers are called upon to comment on everything. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edmund-white/the-talk-shows-in-the-states-want-celebrities-not-authors-in-france/)

[Edmund White](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edmund-white/)

## More by William Hazlitt

> [First impressions are often the truest, as we find (not infrequently) to our cost, when we have been wheedled out of them by plausible…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/first-impressions-are-often-the-truest-as-we-find-not-infrequently-to/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [The art of life is to know how to enjoy a little and to endure very much.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-art-of-life-is-to-know-how-to-enjoy-a-little-and-to-endure-very/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [We are thankful for good-will rather than for services, for the motive than the quantum of favor received.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-are-thankful-for-good-will-rather-than-for-services-for-the-motive/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [The discussing the characters and foibles of common friends is a great sweetness and cement of friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-discussing-the-characters-and-foibles-of-common-friends-is-a/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [Want of principle is power. Truth and honesty set a limit to our efforts, which impudence and hypocrisy easily overleap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/want-of-principle-is-power-truth-and-honesty-set-a-limit-to-our/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [Repose is as necessary in conversation as in a picture.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/repose-is-as-necessary-in-conversation-as-in-a-picture/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [No act terminating in itself constitutes greatness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/no-act-terminating-in-itself-constitutes-greatness/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [Vice is man's nature: virtue is a habit--or a mask.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/vice-is-man-s-nature-virtue-is-a-habit-or-a-mask/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [We never do anything well till we cease to think about the manner doing it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-never-do-anything-well-till-we-cease-to-think-about-the-manner/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [Man is the only animal that laughs and weeps; for he is the only animal that is struck with the difference between what things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/man-is-the-only-animal-that-laughs-and-weeps-for-he-is-the-only/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [Those who have had none of the cares of this life to harass and disturb them, have been obliged to have recourse to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/those-who-have-had-none-of-the-cares-of-this-life-to-harass-and/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [Poverty, when it is voluntary, is never despicable, but takes an heroical aspect.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/poverty-when-it-is-voluntary-is-never-despicable-but-takes-an/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [We are not satisfied to be right, unless we can prove others to be quite wrong.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/we-are-not-satisfied-to-be-right-unless-we-can-prove-others-to-be/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [The world judge of men by their ability in their profession, and we judge of ourselves by the same test: for it is on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-world-judge-of-men-by-their-ability-in-their-profession-and-we/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

> [The best part of our lives we pass in counting on what is to come.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-best-part-of-our-lives-we-pass-in-counting-on-what-is-to-come/)

[William Hazlitt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

[Explore all 671 William Hazlitt quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/)

## More Gratitude quotes

> [You'll seldom experience regret for anything that you've done. It is what you haven't done that will torment you. The message, therefore, is clear.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/you-ll-seldom-experience-regret-for-anything-that-you-ve-done-it-is/)

[Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/)

> [One can put some trust in the gratitude of a sovereign, and also in that of his family; under certain conditions, one can even…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/otto-von-bismarck/one-can-put-some-trust-in-the-gratitude-of-a-sovereign-and-also-in/)

[Otto von Bismarck](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/otto-von-bismarck/)

> [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/)

[Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/)

> [“A treacherous President stood in the way; and it can be easily seen how reluctant good men might be to admit an apostasy which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frederick-douglass/a-treacherous-president-stood-in-the-way-and-it-can-be-easily-seen/)

[Frederick Douglass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frederick-douglass/)

> [I feel very grateful to be alive and well enough to make music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/adam-ant/i-feel-very-grateful-to-be-alive-and-well-enough-to-make-music/)

Adam Ant

> [We only enter into the full life if our faith gives thanks. Because how else do we accept His free gift of salvation if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ann-voskamp/we-only-enter-into-the-full-life-if-our-faith-gives-thanks-because/)

[Ann Voskamp](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ann-voskamp/)

> [I listen to heavy metal thanks to my son. When I argue with him on the kind of music he is listening to, he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/zeenat-aman/i-listen-to-heavy-metal-thanks-to-my-son-when-i-argue-with-him-on-the/)

[Zeenat Aman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/zeenat-aman/)

> [“Thanks for teaching us to talk. Thanks for teaching us to be of the world and in the world and to make our way.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dave-isay/thanks-for-teaching-us-to-talk-thanks-for-teaching-us-to-be-of-the/)

[Dave Isay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dave-isay/)

> [Wine is one of the most civilized things in the world and one of the most natural things of the world that has been…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-hemingway/wine-is-one-of-the-most-civilized-things-in-the-world-and-one-of-the/)

[Ernest Hemingway](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-hemingway/)

> [I want to thank each and every one of you for having extinguished yourselves this session.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gib-lewis/i-want-to-thank-each-and-every-one-of-you-for-having-extinguished/)

[Gib Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gib-lewis/)

> [There is nothing that we can properly call our own but our time, and yet everybody fools us out of it who has a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/there-is-nothing-that-we-can-properly-call-our-own-but-our-time-and/)

[Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/)

> [Be in a state of gratitude for everything that shows up in your life. Be thankful for the storms as well as the smooth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wayne-dyer/be-in-a-state-of-gratitude-for-everything-that-shows-up-in-your-life/)

[Wayne Dyer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wayne-dyer/)

> [“Good Seeds! Gratitude is the Greatest Attitude that has no Substitute.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bernard-kelvin-clive/good-seeds-gratitude-is-the-greatest-attitude-that-has-no-substitute/)

[Bernard Kelvin Clive](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bernard-kelvin-clive/)

> [Man has an almost infinite capacity for taking things and people for granted and thereby missing out on the pleasure of being grateful that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/man-has-an-almost-infinite-capacity-for-taking-things-and-people-for/)

[Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/)

> [“and man, though idiotic, and knowing not what he does, yet full of the sweet things of love and gratitude.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/herman-melville/and-man-though-idiotic-and-knowing-not-what-he-does-yet-full-of-the/)

[Herman Melville](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/herman-melville/)

[Browse all 9,111 Gratitude quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/gratitude/)

```json
{
    "@context": "https://schema.org",
    "@graph": [
        {
            "@type": "Quotation",
            "text": "The public have neither shame or gratitude.",
            "creator": {
                "@type": "Person",
                "name": "William Hazlitt"
            },
            "isPartOf": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website"
            },
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-public-have-neither-shame-or-gratitude/",
            "about": {
                "@type": "Thing",
                "name": "Gratitude"
            },
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-public-have-neither-shame-or-gratitude/#quotation",
            "image": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/william-hazlitt-326_gratitude_the-public-have-neither-shame-or-gratitu_1358332.png",
                "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/william-hazlitt-326_gratitude_the-public-have-neither-shame-or-gratitu_1358332.png",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/239/william-hazlitt-326_gratitude_the-public-have-neither-shame-or-gratitu_1358332.png",
                "width": 1080,
                "height": 1080,
                "caption": "“The public have neither shame or gratitude.” — William Hazlitt",
                "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
                "creator": {
                    "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
                }
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "BreadcrumbList",
            "itemListElement": [
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 1,
                    "name": "Home",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 2,
                    "name": "Quotes",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 3,
                    "name": "William Hazlitt",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-hazlitt/"
                },
                {
                    "@type": "ListItem",
                    "position": 4,
                    "name": "The public have neither shame or...",
                    "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-public-have-neither-shame-or-gratitude/"
                }
            ],
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-hazlitt/the-public-have-neither-shame-or-gratitude/#breadcrumb"
        },
        {
            "@type": "WebSite",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "publisher": {
                "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization"
            }
        },
        {
            "@type": "Organization",
            "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization",
            "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes",
            "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/",
            "logo": {
                "@type": "ImageObject",
                "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png",
                "width": 512,
                "height": 512
            }
        }
    ]
}
```
